Method of manufacturing alcohol from sulfite liquor.



PER GosrA nxs'rnom; or HARNTATS, 'swnionn, Assrcnoa r'o 'AkTiEnoLAcErn'rriYn, or.

FALUN, 'swEDEN.

- mn'rnon or MANUFACTURING ALCOHOL mom sunrrrn Liauon.

No Drawing.

I Toqzll whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PER GosTA EKsTRtiM, a citizen of the Kingdom ofSweden, residing at Harniis, Sweden, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Methods of Manufacturing Alcohol from sulfite Liquorfrom the Sulfite-Pulp Process, of which the following is aspecification.

It is well known that the sulfite liquor from the sulfite pulp processcontains saccharine matters which by fermentation may be converted intoethyl alcohol. Before such fermentation-can be carried out, it isnecessary to remove the free sulfurous acid contained in the liquor asit constitutes a poison J for the yeast and prevents or retards thefer-' mentation or prevents the complete conver- 'sion of the saccharinematters into alcohol.

until the fermentation process begins. During the said process a numberof organic acids, especially lactic acid, are formed in the liquor, saidacids reacting with the organic compounds in which the sulfurous acid isonly loosely bound whereby the latter is freed and then retards thefermentation process. The said compounds are also in unchanged stateinjurious for the fermentation;

The chief object of the present invention is to avoid the said draw-backby decomposing. the said organic compounds in which the sulfurous acidis loosely bound and transferring the sulfurous acid into com poundsuninjurious \for the yeast before the beginning of the fermentationprocess.

A; further object of the invention is to mtroduce nitrogen compounds asa nutriment for the yeast performing the fermentation of the saccharinematters in the liquor.

The invention consists, chiefly, in adding)to the liquor ammoniumsulfate ([NILLS before the fermentation process begins. On

Specification of letters Patent. Patented Oct, 22, 1 912, Applicationfiled February 24, 1912: Serial No. 679,796. I

account of its comparatively great dissociatlon in solution the ammoniumsulfate reacts easily with the above-mentioned unstable organiccompounds, its negative ions combining with the lime of said compoundsinto calciumsulfate While the sulfurous acid of said compounds is madefree and then the liquor to be treated. I have obtained good results inusing 50 kg. of ammonium sulfate per 100 cu. m. of the sulfite liquorfrom thesusual sulfate pulp process. The ammonium sulfate may be addedto the liquor either before, or during, or after the usual neutralizinby quick-lime, limestone or the like. In t e first-mentioned case thesulfurous acid, freed by the ammonium sulfate, will be dissolved in theliquor and increase its percentage of free sulfurous acid and later onbe neutralized, when the liquor in the usual manner is treated withquicklime, lime-stone or the like. If the ammonium sulfate is addedsimultaneously with the neutralizing by lime or the like, the sulfurousacid is bound by the lime as it is freed. I prefer, however, to add theammonium sulfate after the free sulfurous acid has been neutralized inwell known manner and the calcium bisulfite and the sulfuric acidcontained-in the liquor have been converted into unsoluble calcium saltsby an addit-ion of lime orthe like. The sulfuric acid freed by theammoniumsulfate in this latter case is bound by an excess of lime'usedduring the foregoing neutralizing processor by a further addition of aneutralizing agent such as lime. It is suitable to use lime-stone(calcium carbonate) as a binding agent for the sulfurous acid, inasmuchas it not at all or only slightly reacts with the ammonium sulfate usedfor the decomposition of the above mentioned organic compounds.

The liquor treated in the above described manner will be more completelyfermented 4 than otherwise and gives accordingly a better yield ofalcohol than when the usual ters Patent is:

neutralizing by means of quick-lime, limestone or the like alone isused. The fermented liquid may be distilled in any suitable manner forrecovering the alcohol formed therein by the fermentation process.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let- 1. In the manufacture of alcohol of the sulfite liquorfrom the sulfite pulp process by fermenting the saccharine matterscontained therein, the addition of ammonium sulfate to the'liquor,substantially as and for the purpose set forth. e

.2. In the manufacture of alcohol of the sulfite liquor from the sulfitepulp process by fermenting the saccharine matters contained therein andthe fermented liquid, the method of converting sulfurous acid bound inthe lye in easily decomposable organic com ounds into compoundsuninjurious for t e fermentation, which consists 1n adding calciumcarbonate and ammonium 3. Method of manufacturing alcohol of theSlLlfite liquor h'om the sulfite pulp process, which consists inneutralizin the-free sulfurous acid of the liquor by a dingcalciferousmatters, adding ,ammonium sulfate to the lyeffor decomposing organiccompounds therein contamingsulfurous acid} ml for increasing thepercentage of nitro-- in t genous compoun e liquor, and thenfermentingthe liquc'ii", substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I, claim the foregoing as my invention, I havesignedmy name in presence of twosubscribing witnessese PER eos'raEKsrRoWitnesses l CONRAD DELMAR, v JOHN DnLMAn.

